In the process of bringing dough to a standard lightness in its preparation for the grilling of English muffins, it is important to expose the dough to air having a given moisture content and dry bulb temperature for a certain period of time in order to bring a uniform standard of unrestricted expansion, texture and shape for the muffin dough. The emphasis here is on the word unrestricted, particularly with respect to texture and shape, because with conventional proofing means the doughballs expand irregularly and thus lack the air cell size and distribution to provide the open internal texture and uniform shape so desired in the fully grilled muffin.
In the operation of high-speed industrial muffin griddles and the automated feeding of proofed doughballs thereto, the dump of the doughballs from the proofing trays also must be predictable during the duty cycle. In practice, it is thus essential that the freshly proofed doughballs not adhere to the proofing cups in the tray when they are upended. Doughballs should drop freely from the inverted proofing cup to the waiting griddle cup below in a consistent and predictable manner. If a doughball does not release rapidly and holds back at all, it pulls the dough and the stuck portion causes a rupture of the doughball allowing the proofing gases generated during the proof cycle to escape. The result is a smaller and "blind" muffin with no holes. A commercially unacceptable product.
Also, from a gourmet's point of view, cavities for proofing of dough in prior proofing devices are rounded-bottom shape permitting uneven expansion of the dough during proofing and also inhibiting the uniform growth of gas bubbles in the "rising" of the dough mass. In order to attain maximum control over the doughpiece in proofing, it should be allowed to proof laterally and not be restricted by a concave bottom in the proofing cup. This also causes larger holes which are extremely desirable in English muffins.
Furthermore, in prior proofing devices the proofing trays are covered with an open weave sleeve which extends the length of the tray which is generally of size to provide twelve doughballs pockets. Thus, when a tear develops in one or more pockets during use, the entire sleeve must be replaced, which is costly and wasteful. With the present invention, the proofing cups are individually replaceable, as may be needed, with a material cost saving.